UAE dismantles alleged Hezbollah- and Iran-linked cell, arrests all members

ALBAWABA- The State Security Department in the United Arab Emirates has dismantled a terrorist network allegedly funded and directed by Hezbollah and Iran, arresting all its members, authorities announced.

Officials said the group operated under fictitious commercial fronts and was involved in money laundering, terrorism financing, and efforts to infiltrate the national economy, actions deemed a threat to financial stability and national security.

Investigations found the network followed a coordinated strategy directed by external contacts linked to Hezbollah and Iran, in violation of UAE laws and regulations.

The announcement, widely circulated on April 20, reinforces the UAE’s stated zero-tolerance approach to foreign-backed networks seeking to exploit its institutions or destabilise the country. Authorities have not disclosed the number or nationalities of those arrested, but said any such activities would be met with firm action.

The operation, first revealed in mid-March, comes amid heightened regional tensions following reported Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf targets earlier this year. Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and others, have repeatedly condemned Tehran’s actions and its alleged support for proxy groups as threats to regional security.

The UAE State Security Department has announced the dismantling of a terrorist organisation and the arrest of its members for activities aimed at undermining national unity and destabilising the country. pic.twitter.com/6WTw4TP5EP

— Emirates News (@Emirates_News) April 20, 2026

In parallel, authorities across the Gulf have tightened oversight of online activity. Several social media accounts have been suspended or warned for sharing unverified content related to recent incidents, under regulations that restrict the dissemination of sensitive security information. 

Similar measures have been reported in Kuwait and Qatar, where new media rules targeting “false rumours” on military matters have led to detentions, including that of Ahmed Shihab-Eldin.

Gulf governments, including the UAE and regional partners, have linked these steps to efforts to counter alleged sleeper cells and affiliated networks tied to Iran and Hezbollah, describing them as necessary to maintain public order and national security.